


Yesterday Is Forgotten

by Hughville, Pyewacket75



Series: Tomorrow Isn't Promised Trilogy [2]
Category: House M.D.
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Derogatory Language, F/M, Hallucinations, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-07-28 16:36:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16245596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hughville/pseuds/Hughville, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyewacket75/pseuds/Pyewacket75
Summary: After House accidentally overdoses on morphine, he and Cameron head to Florida for him to detox.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here is part 2 of The Tomorrow Isn't Promised Trilogy.  
> We don't own House or any of the characters. Those belong to David Shore and NBC Universal.

The ambulance pulled up to the ER. Wilson and Rohella waited as House was unloaded and wheeled inside. While Rohella went in with House, Wilson stayed back and waited for Cameron. A few minutes later, she ran toward him wearing House’s t-shirt. Feet bare, her tangled blonde hair floating around her, her face red and blotchy from crying, she stopped short in front of Wilson, and then tried to run into the ER. Grasping her shoulders, he looked at her.

“They said he OD’d on morphine,” Wilson said grimly his tone accusing. “Where were you?”

“I was in the bedroom and he didn’t OD. He used the wrong syringe.”

“Why does he have more than one size syringe?”

“I don’t know!”

She pulled free of his grasp but he snagged the back of her shirt before she could go in.

“You can’t go in like that,” he told her as he struggled to hold her. “You’re the Dean of Medicine, for God’s sake!”

“I need to be with him,” she ground out as she tried to pull away.

“What you need is to go home and put some clothes on.”

Cameron’s face contorted in rage. “I’m not Cuddy. I don’t care about what people think. I only care about House.”

“Well, I care about you keeping your job,” he told her. “You’re the best thing to happen to this hospital and House. So, let me take you home so you can change and then we’ll come right back.”

Cameron looked wistfully at the double doors leading into the ER.

“Ro is with him,” he told her. “She’ll call us.”

Cameron nodded and allowed him to take her home.

They returned about thirty minutes later. Cameron wore jeans, a white t-shirt and sneakers. Her clean face showed only hint of pinkness and her hair was pulled up in a haphazard ponytail. Ro met them at the nurse’s station. Cameron noticed she wore a body hugging royal blue dress that showed off an impressive amount of cleavage and her long legs. Her makeup played up her blue-grey eyes and her the tips of her hair were tinted the same blue of her dress. She also wore black wedges that winked and gleamed in the lights of the ER. 

“They’re giving him Narcan. Everything will be okay,” she told them. She looked at Cameron. “What happened?”

“A lot,” Cameron replied bleakly. “He didn't OD. I could see he used the wrong syringe. He had two sizes.” She looked away. “He was upset and in pain. It was just an accident.”

“I still have to put him on a seventy-two hour hold,” Ro told her.

“He’ll never let you do that,” Wilson said.

“He doesn’t have a choice. He’s come in as an attempted suicide. He’s going upstairs in about twenty minutes. Once he’s settled, I’ll let you know so you can see him.”

Ro turned and walked away.

Cameron leaned her elbows on the counter and put her head in her hands. “This is all my fault. I pushed him.”

“How?” Wilson asked.

Cameron stood up and walked away. Slowly, Wilson followed her. He would get to the bottom of it, one way or another.

***

Awareness returned slowly. House heard the soft sounds of monitors and felt cool air flowing into his nose from a nasal cannula. He opened his eyes and became aware that he was in the hospital. 

“Shit,” he cursed softly.

“Welcome back,” Ro said from the chair beside his bed. “You’re on a sevent-”

“I didn’t try to commit suicide,” he interrupted as he stared up at the ceiling. “My leg hurt and I picked up the wrong syringe. That’s it.”

“Why do you have more than one size syringe? Did you stock up on the bigger ones so you can end it all when it gets to be too much?”

“Jesus, you’re annoying!” House groaned ignoring her questions. “Don’t you have other patients who actually need you?”

“Always.”

House closed his eyes and willed her to go away.

“But you’re the one who needs my help right now. Also, you interrupted my very romantic date with Brent. So, you owe me. Why’d you mistake syringes?”

“I just grabbed one,” he muttered. There was no way in hell he would tell her what happened in his bedroom with Cameron. He didn’t care if it did happen to other men. It never happened to him.

“You never _just_ do anything. You are the most deliberate man I know.”

“I’m tired. A good Narcan dose always makes me sleepy.”

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll be back later.”

Once she left, he opened his eyes and looked down at the IV port in his hand. He turned his head when the door opened and Cameron entered.

“I made a mistake,” he told her softly. “I didn't OD or try to kill myself.”

She stood beside his bed and looked at him. “I know. You grabbed the wrong syringe.”

“Would you please tell Cruella that?” he pleaded. “I don’t need to be on a psych hold.”

“I told her. She said she has to. It’s three days, House. You were at Mayfield longer than that.”

“You’re her boss. Override her. And no that isn’t a euphemism.” He looked at her with fear in his eyes. “I can’t detox here. I won’t.”

Cameron bit her lip and looked over her shoulder. Silently she removed his IV and nasal cannula then she unhooked him from all the machines. He sat up and she helped him stand. Together they went to the door and looked out. The hallway was empty so she grabbed a wheelchair that sat outside the room. Once House was in it, she wheeled him toward the freight elevators.  
Rohella and Wilson stepped out from behind one of the columns at the nurse’s station.

“Told you she’d break him out,” Ro said with a grin. 

Wilson shook his head. “You really think she’ll get him off the Vicodin and any other narcotic he has squirreled away in his apartment?”

“She will and he’ll let her. And we’ll let them.”

“And if he dies?”

Rohella patted his shoulder. “She loves him. She won’t let that happen. Now, I got a husband at home waiting on me, so I’m outta here.”

Wilson watched her walk away. He hoped she was right.

***

Cameron and House arrived in Florida later that day. She left a message with the Board of Directors that she had a family emergency. They were used to House coming and going as he pleased so his absence would be overlooked. The board members put Wilson in charge until she returned. That made them a bit nervous. Wilson continually tried to make House conform and they worried he would try to find them.

“I need a Vicodin,” House told her as they drove away from the airport in Tampa.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t bring any. There’s some extra strength ibuprofen in my purse,” she told him as she merged onto I-275 North. The mid morning traffic was heavy and Cameron was shocked at the way people drove; weaving in and out of traffic; tailgating; even driving on the shoulder at high speeds.

“These drivers are crazy,” she muttered as she kept her eye on a semi that kept drifting into their lane.

House grunted and stared out the window as he rubbed his right thigh trying to ease the white-hot pain. Trees and billboards stretched along the highway broken up by small towns.  
“How far is it to this magical island you visited as a child?” he finally asked about an hour later.

“Oh, only about thirty minutes now,” Cameron told him as she exited FL-52 W. “Are you hungry? We can stop and get something to eat.”

“Bellamy Brothers Boulevard,” House snorted. “Are we going to let our love flow?”

“They’re from Florida,” Cameron smiled.

“I know that,” House replied slumping down in his seat. “What can we get to eat out here in the boonies? Squirrel soup? Fried opossum? Steer of deer? Rack of raccoon?”

“Well, you can get gator tail,” she told him with a grin that showed the slight dimples in her cheeks. “It’s an acquired taste though most people say it tastes like chicken.”

“All food is an acquired taste. We tend to like the food our parents fed us or food with the highest amount of fat and sugar.”

“Well, then we can get something with lots of fat and sugar,” she told him. “We’re almost there. I called ahead while you were packing and had the caretaker order groceries. I can make us something for lunch or we can go out.”

“I want to start detoxing so we’ll eat in.”

Cameron glanced at him and then turned her attention back to the road.


	2. Chapter 2

House stared in shock at the tiny, grey, weathered cottage. The trim was painted a shade of pink that actually hurt his eyes in the glaring Florida sunlight. Cameron parked the car next to a stubby palmetto tree in front of the screened in porch. The plant looked like a stunted palm tree.

“Please tell me this is the caretaker’s place,” he groaned.

“No, he lives in a mobile home. It’s not that bad, House,” Cameron told him patiently. “There are two bedrooms, a living room and kitchen. There are air conditioners in every room. See?” She pointed to a tiny box jutting out from the side of the house. “There is only one bathroom but we can share. The best part--”

“There’s a best part in all this?” he asked with a sharp edge of sarcasm.

“The beach is right across the street. Open your door and take a deep breath. You can smell the Gulf. We can watch the crabs later. They come up at sunset. And the sunsets are spectacular here. You’ll like it. It’s quiet, and right now we’re the only ones here.”

House heard the tinge of desperation beneath the cheery note in her voice. She desperately wanted him to like the shabby, run down shack in this tiny podunk town. With a sigh of defeat he opened the car door, slowly stood and breathed deeply. The briny scent of salt water filled his lungs. Reaching into the car, he grabbed his cane. Slamming the car door shut, he slowly followed Cameron up the stairs of the house and inside. He stepped into the living room and stopped. Calling the small room a living room was being generous. There was a kitchenette in the back of the room tucked in a corner. A large couch that had seen better days and an old, scarred coffee table faced the front porch. To the left was a door. Cameron opened it and he could just see two tiny rooms off a short hallway and what he hoped was a closet but somehow knew was the bathroom.

“Your family stayed here when you were a kid?” he asked as he slowly made his way inside. A ceiling fan whirled overhead and he ducked to avoid being decapitated by it.

“Yeah,” she said as she came back out. She looked around. “It seemed much bigger then. Of course, everything seems big when you’re a kid.”

“You think?”

Her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, House. We can leave and--”

“No, like you said, we’re the only ones here, besides the possibly murderous caretaker.”

She laughed softly. He limped over to her and pulled her into his arms. “It’s fine. I just have to remember to duck so I don’t get decapitated by that ceiling fan.”

Leaning into him, she tucked her head under his chin. He knew there was no better moment to tell her his plan than now.

“I want to detox cold turkey.”

He felt her stiffen before she pulled back and looked up at him. “No.”

“It’ll be faster than titrating me off the damn stuff.”

“And more painful. I didn’t bring anything to do it that way. I have nothing for nausea, muscle pain, insomnia...please, House. Let me titrate you off it slowly the way we’ve started.”

He shook his head. “It takes too long. The worst part lasts less than a week. The we can go home and I can see that pain guy Bordella told us about.” He looked into her eyes. “They weaned me off it at Mayfield and it was just as bad but took longer. I trust you. Please.”

Tears welled in her eyes but she finally nodded.

“You gotta get rid of any Vicodin you brought with you. A couple days in and I’ll do anything to get it. You can’t let me.”

“I’ll go hide it,” she said softly.

House shook his head. “No. I don’t want to hurt you trying to get it. And I could. Flush it, throw it in the ocean, just get rid of it.”

She nodded and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He rested his cheek on the top of her head. Hopefully when this was all over she would still love him.

***

A few hours later, there was a knock on the door while House sat on the porch swing out back with Cameron. She leaned against him, her head on his shoulder but quickly got up when she heard it. 

“Could that be the serial killer caretaker with the food?” he asked her. 

“He isn’t a serial killer. I’ll be right back.”

Five minutes later, Cameron still hadn’t come back and curiosity got the better of House so he went inside to investigate. How long did it take to bring in a few bags of food? 

Cameron was in the kitchen, surrounded by grocery bags, talking to a handsome blonde man who looked to be around the same age as she.

He couldn’t help feeling just a little threatened by the man. They chatted and laughed like they’d known each other for years, and they probably had.

The man looked over at House and smiled pleasantly.

“Who’s your friend?” House asked Cameron as he limped further into the kitchen.

“Greg House, this is Tim Job, the caretaker.”

“Most call me TJ now,” the man said as he extended his hand to House.

 _Oh, the fun I can have with that_ , House thought to himself as he stared at the man’s hand.

Realizing House wasn’t going to shake his hand, TJ lowered it and turned his attention back to Cameron. “Is there anything else you need, Ally?”

“How much do we owe you? Or do you buy groceries for all your tenants?” House inquired, looking slightly annoyed.

“Ally told me you’re feeling under the weather and that she might not have a chance to make it to the store later in the week so…”

“Oh she did?” House said as he glared at Cameron, who glared right back at him as if to say _don’t you dare start anything!_

“Yeah, well, I need to get going. It was nice seeing you again, Ally. I’m glad you’re back.”

“For how long remains to be seen,” House muttered as he started going through the various bags of groceries looking for something to eat.

Tim smiled at her before he let himself out and Cameron glared at House. “Jesus, House, could you have been any more rude?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?” he asked, still looking through the groceries.

“No. It was uncalled for. He was just trying to help.”

“We don’t need his help.” House tossed a bag of vegetables on the counter. “Where’s the peanut butter? Beer? Pizza? Anything not consumed by rabbits?”

Cameron took a deep breath and tried hard to remember that he was in pain and probably starting to feel the beginning effects of withdrawal.

“It won’t hurt you to eat a few fruits and vegetables,” she said calmly as she began to put the groceries away.

“And it won’t hurt YOU to eat more. You could stand to gain at least five or ten pounds.”

“Don’t do this, House.”

“What?”

“Try and sabotage this withdrawal thing. Remember, it was your idea. Don’t take it out on me.”

“It wasn’t my idea to detox in a shack,” House grumbled as he found the peanut butter and slathered some on two slices of bread before going back outside to sit on the porch swing.  
Once he was gone, Cameron finished putting the groceries away. The cold turkey detox was a bad idea and she never should have agreed to it. She knew he could be vicious when his pain worsened. Still, it hurt to hear him lash out at her about her weight. When she worked for him, the stress caused her to drop to ninety pounds. Now she was at a healthy weight and most of it was from pure muscle. Hell, even her breasts were bigger. True, they weren’t as big as Cuddy’s but Cameron was smaller than Cuddy. She didn’t have her former boss’s wide hips or big ass, either. Suddenly, anger coursed through her. So he thought she needed to gain some weight, huh? Well, she’d show him. It was warm enough for a swim so she went into the bedroom and changed into a floral bikini. It was basically two tiny triangles and a G-string bottom and it showed off her toned body perfectly. She found her flip flops and a beach towel, pasted a wide smile on her face and sauntered out onto the back porch. House sat holding his sandwich staring into space. He rubbed his right leg and for a moment she faltered. Then he looked up at her. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his leg. His gaze raked over her and for a moment, desire flared in his eyes. 

“Going to meet your old buddy for a swim?” he asked as he turned away. “I’m sure Rim Job will be thrilled to see how you’ve blossomed.”

She opened the screen door. “ _I’m_ going for a swim. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

The screen door slammed behind her and she skipped down the steps. Tears blurred her vision but she’d be damned if she let him see her cry. The next few days would test her patience and resolve. She just needed to remember how much she loved him and how much better he would be once the Vicodin cleared his system. The Gulf of Mexico spread out before her. The setting sun painted the sky in shades of ruby, coral, pink, silver and lavender. Kicking off her shoes and dropping her towel, she raced into the warm water and began to swim.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is Huddy sex in here. Sorry!
> 
> We still don't won House.

House flinched as the screen door slammed behind Cameron. Why did he have to comment on her weight? When he hired her, she looked much like she did now. The longer she worked for him the more weight she dropped. He teased her about looking like a fourteen year old boy but he’d been worried about her. At one point, he could see the bones of her sternum and he overheard some of the nurses remarking that she had to get her clothes taken in even though she bought the smallest size available. Being away from him clearly did her body good. Her breasts weren’t as big as Cuddy’s but they didn’t have the slight sag that Cuddy’s did. Her stomach was flat and she had the slight outline of a rather impressive six pack. Her hips weren’t as wide as Cuddy’s but Cuddy had a slight belly and...he stopped and shook his head. Comparing the two women was dangerous. He took a bite of his sandwich and felt his stomach heave as he gagged. Feeling the bile rise, he just made it to the door before he puked all over the steps. He sank down on the worn wooden slats of the porch and leaned against the door frame. His stomach heaved again and he stumbled down the steps slipping in the vomit before falling on his knees in the dense grass. He emptied his stomach until there was nothing left. 

“Great,” he gasped as he fell on his side. “It’s started. Why did I think this was a good way to detox?”

He dry heaved several more times and began to sweat. Something crawled on his neck and then onto his face. An enormous roach sat for a moment on his cheek before flying away. House tried to stand but he couldn’t so he crawled back to the house. The pain in his leg intensified as he slumped against the concrete steps. Why did he have to piss Cameron off and make her leave? He leaned back against the base of the house and hoped no more prehistoric flying roaches would use him for a launch pad. His eyes slid closed and his brain shut down.

***

The next thing House knew, he was being lifted and then carried inside. The voices were muffled, as his ears were ringing, and then he felt the soft mattress of his bed as his body landed on it with a soft thud.

“Jesus..he’s a dead weight,” he heard a male voice grunt.

Cameron closed the bedroom door and they walked to the kitchen. “Thanks for your help, Tim. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“It’s fine, Allison. Will you be okay? Does he have the flu or something?”

She hesitated for a second. “Something.”

“I see. Okay, well, call me if you need anything else. You know I’m just down the road.”

“I will, thanks.”

An hour later, Cameron returned to check on House. He was sweating and running a fever as he held the blankets to his chin. “It’s freezing,” he murmured.

She placed her hand against his cheek and touched his hand. It was cold and clammy. “You have a fever. Any nausea?”

“Not since I lost my lunch outside. It usually took a couple of days before the nausea and stomach issues started. What day is this?”

Cameron sighed as she went to get a warm washcloth and gently wiped his face. “Two.”

“Two down, three to go. If I’m lucky. God...whose idea was this to quit cold turkey?”

“Yours.”

“Go big or go home,” he said and then groaned. “Trash can,” he mumbled. Cameron promptly grabbed it and placed it just in time for House to gag, but it was just dry heaves. Once he stopped, she helped him lie back against the pillow.

“We can still do this the other way,” she told him as she sat down beside him. “I still have the meds for it.”

“I told you to get rid of them,” he croaked. “I need some water.”

Once she left, he drifted on the edge of consciousness. The room wavered and he closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was in his bedroom at home. He sighed in relief. The worst was over. Cuddy walked in with a glass of water. She smiled as she handed it to him. He took it and drained it one swallow.

“Get in bed,” he told her as he moved over. He put the glass on his bedside table and frowned at the faint sound of glass shattering. Then Cuddy was next to him and he forgot all about it. “How about you toss my salad?” 

Cuddy laughed and he rolled onto his stomach. His cock grew hard as she worked him over. He pulled her beneath him and fucked her senseless. As an intense orgasm shuddered through him, he could dimly hear Cameron’s voice and feel pulses of pressure against his chest. He rolled off Cuddy and decided it was better not to tell her about hearing his ex-fellow’s voice. Then a hard thump on his chest caused him to gasp. Cuddy and his bedroom disappeared. Cameron leaned over him as she did CPR.

“Stop,” he whispered. “What happened? Where’s Cuddy? I was with Cuddy.”

“I came in with the water and you drank it. Then you passed out and dropped the glass. You stopped breathing and I couldn’t get a pulse. You scared the shit out of me,” she said shakily. “Were you hallucinating?”

He nodded. “I was with Cuddy. I thought everything was back to normal.” The tremors returned and he rolled onto his side. He was dimly aware of Cameron pulling the sheet over him. Soon a fevered sleep slipped over him.

***

Cameron made sure he was sleeping and went to get the small broom and dust pan. She swept up the broken glass and went back into the kitchen to throw it away. Then she went back into the bedroom and sank down on the floor beside the bed. Pulling her knees up, she rested her forehead on them and wrapped her arms around her legs. Tears slid down her face as she cried. He hallucinated being with Cuddy and for him that meant things were back to normal. He obviously still loved her; maybe he always would. She lifted her head and wiped her face. She would get him through the detox and then decide what to do. If he still loved Cuddy, she would...what? Find another job? Fire him? How could she have been so stupid as to think she could compete with someone like Cuddy? Even in death, she still held sway over House. Cameron remembered how they used to bicker and argue. At times, they could be downright vicious to each other. Was that House’s idea of romantic banter? She wasn’t around when they were dating but she heard Cuddy was definitely in control in the relationship. Was that what House wanted? A woman who told him what to do all the time? Cameron knew that was not something she could do or wanted to do. She preferred a relationship where things were equal or as equal as possible. She was not domineering. Her mother had been that way and she hated it.

Slowly, she stood. After a quick check on House, she went out to the back porch. She sat in the swing and watched the storm clouds building. It was time for the usual afternoon thunderstorm. She shook her head. If House liked conflict and being dominated, then she was not the woman for him.


	4. Chapter 4

Cameron turned on the coffee maker and set about making breakfast for herself. House was still asleep so she made sure to keep quiet. He had been impossible to be around but she knew it wasn’t his fault. Anyone would be in that kind of mood when they weren’t feeling well. Or at least, that’s what she tried to convince herself.

There was a brisk knock at the back door so she opened it to find Tim standing there carrying a shopping bag.

“Morning, Ally.”

“Hey, Tim,” she said as she opened the storm door to let him in. “You’re out and about early this morning.”

“I was out for a run. Stopped by the store to grab a few things but it smells like you’ve already got breakfast going.”

“What did you bring?” she asked. 

“Just a couple of bagels with cream cheese.”

“Well I’m just having toast with avocado, so have a seat.”

Meanwhile, House slowly woke up from sleep. The smell of toast was in the air and made his stomach churn but he didn’t get sick. He took that as a sign that hopefully the worst was over. It had nearly been five days of hell and he’d had enough of the nausea, cramps and chills. 

He still felt like crap, however, and once he sat up, he saw floaters in front of his eyes for a moment. Carefully he stood, grabbed his cane and hobbled out into the hallway. Then he heard the voices in the kitchen and very slowly went to investigate.

“What are you doing with that old cripple when you could be with a hot, able bodied stud like me?” Tim asked Cameron, his hand on her thigh, caressing it softly.

House gave his head a shake. _What the ever-loving fuck…_

“He needs me…”

“And I need to butter your muffin,” Tim growled as he pulled her to him and buried his face in between her breasts.

House was paralyzed as he watched them ravage each other right there in the kitchen. _No..this can’t be happening…_ and with that, he quickly turned and went back to his bed where he collapsed on it, throwing his arm across his eyes.

“Did you hear that?” Tim asked as he paused eating his bagel.

“Yeah. I’ll be right back,” Cameron said as she got up to check on House. He appeared to be asleep, but he was lying on top of the bed. Grabbing the blanket, she gently draped it over him and placed her hand on his forehead. He was still pretty hot to the touch so she wrung out a washcloth in the bowl next to the bed and gently wiped his face.

House murmured something unintelligible before rolling over onto his side.

“What?” Cameron asked.

“Leave me the fuck alone,” he mumbled.

“House…”

“Get out!”

“Fine! Whatever,” she snapped and quickly left. When the door slammed behind her, she leaned against it and closed her eyes, counting to ten. “It’s just the withdrawal,” she said to herself. “He didn’t mean it.”

A couple of hours later, House limped into the living room and looked around. “Where’s your fuck buddy?”

Cameron blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Hand Job.”

“If you mean Tim, I don’t know where he is.”

“But he was here earlier, right?”

“Yeah he came by on his way back from a jog.”

“Don’t insult my intelligence, Cameron. I saw you two.”

She cocked her head to one side and narrowed her eyes. “What exactly did you see?”

“I saw everything.”

“So you saw us having breakfast. What’s wrong with that?”

“I saw him butter your muffin, _if_ you know what I mean,” he said with an over- exaggerated wink.

She looked completely confused and shook her head as if to clear it. “House, whatever you believe you saw, it wasn’t real.”  
“It looked pretty real to me!” he snapped at her.

“Do you honestly think I’d do that to you? I mean seriously? With Tim? He’s like a big brother. I’ve known him all my life.”

“He doesn’t look at you like a big brother.”

“I don’t really care. I don’t like him like that. So whatever you saw, was all in your head. And I know it’s not easy to hear, but it was a hallucination, that’s all. When I came in to check on you, you had a fever.” She reached up and gently touched his cheek. “I love you, House. I would never do that to you.”

He looked down at the floor, both hands on the handle of his cane as he leaned heavily on it. “I’m sick of being sick.”

“I know, but I think the worst is over. You’re not nauseous anymore and you’ve been able to eat a little bit.”

“I hope so.”

“Look, why don’t you come sit outside, get some fresh air? It’s nice out. Do you want some tea or something?”

He thought about it and nodded.

“Okay, go have a seat on the porch and I’ll bring it out. I was just about to make myself some coffee, anyway.”

“I’d rather have coffee.”

“I don’t know, it might upset your stomach. I’d stick with some tea for now. Are you hungry?” she asked.  
“A little.”

“Okay, I’ll make some dry toast, too.”

House went outside and was hit by a blanket of humidity that made him almost instantly want a shower. However, after a few minutes, he had to admit the fresh air felt good. He unzipped his hoodie and took it off. The breeze felt nice, even though it was warm. 

Cameron came out balancing a plate with toast and two mugs. “Here you go,” she said as she handed him a mug. He took a sniff. It smelled like Earl Grey with a hint of ginger.  
“Thanks,” he murmured as he took a tentative sip. It tasted okay so he took a few more before trying a few bites of the dry toast.

“What was it like?” she asked, seemingly out of the blue.

“What was what like?”

“Being with Cuddy.”

House glanced over at her. She seemed very uneasy as she tucked one leg under her and bit her lip.

“Why?”

“I’m just curious, I guess. Was she the same at home as she was at the hospital? Controlling, I mean.”

He nodded. “Yeah, pretty much. I mean, there were good times of course, but they were few and far between. All those years leading up to it, it wasn’t the ideal relationship, for either of us. I tried to please her and I failed,” he said with a heavy sigh and took another sip of his tea.

“So how did you two hook up in the first place?”

He told her about the crane accident and losing the patient, despite his best efforts. “She was there when nobody else was at my darkest hour. It just seemed right at the time. I know she had regrets after, and so did I but we decided to give it a try anyway. It was good for a few months and then things changed. She tried to get me to babysit Rachel, and when I said no, she’d withhold sex. Underhanded, yes. And I caved every time because someone had to look after the little ankle biter. Then she had the cancer scare which turned out to be nothing. But things weren’t the same after that. And then, out of nowhere, she was gone.”

He looked away from her, but not after Cameron saw his eyes were glassy.

“I miss her,” he said softly, almost to himself.

“I know,” she whispered and gently placed her hand over his. “It’s okay to think about her, House. I don’t expect you to forget her just because you’re with me. I liked her too, even if I didn’t always agree with what she did. Honestly, some of the things she did to you were downright cruel and unethical.”

He didn’t say anything, just nodded. “You’re right. It was hardly the ideal relationship. I just didn’t want to die alone. Wilson always said I would.”

“Wilson’s not right about everything, you know.”

House just shrugged and picked at his toast.


	5. Chapter 5

House sat in the sand and watched Cameron try to get a crab to snap onto the stick she held out. His withdrawal symptoms were gone and Cameron prescribed him amitriptyline. He balked at first but found the antidepressant worked very well. His leg was still tender but the mind-numbing pain was gone. Looking out over the Gulf, he saw a pile of greenish-black clouds blocking out the sunset and heading toward the small island.

“Cameron?” he called out. “Did Job say anything about a storm?”

She dropped the stick and walked over to him. She wore a blue string bikini and her skin was now a warm golden brown. Even her hair was lighter, which House liked. He dug his bare toes in the sand and used his cane to point out the clouds building on the horizon.

“That looks bad,” she said. “We should head back. Storms like that always cause the park to lose power. I need to go into town and get supplies.”

As they walked back to the house hand in hand, they saw Tim walking down the road pulling a cart loaded with supplies. House still didn’t entirely trust the other man but he made an effort to treat him with a modicum of civility.

“Brought you two supplies for the storm,” Tim told them as they met up. “It’s just a bad thunderstorm but we’ll probably lose power.”

“Great,” House sighed. “We’ll be sweating like whores in church without those so-called air conditioners.”

Cameron giggled and gave House a light smack to the chest. “What do you know about church?”

He grinned proudly. “I know about whores. That’s good enough for me.”

She laughed again and shook her head, grateful that he seemed to be back to his old self.

“If the road floods, you may be stuck here longer,” Tim told them. “I’ll unload the supplies.”

House went inside and looked for his cell phone. He needed to charge it before the storm hit. He heard Cameron and Job laughing and his gut tightened. That hallucination seemed too real. Of course, so did the one about Cuddy. Maybe he was still hallucinating. He wandered out to the living room and watched the storm approach. Streaks of lightning zigged and zagged from the clouds. As the clouds advanced, darkness descended. Thunder rumbled causing the windows to rattle. The rain arrived next. The wind caused it to fly sideways and soon visibility was limited to the small front yard. A tremendous boom sounded and the lights went out.

Cameron walked in and sat down beside him. The room was still relatively cool but they knew that wouldn’t last long. Even with the torrential rain pounding the cottage, House knew it was hot outside and would soon be hot inside.

“So,” he said to her as they watched the rain, “what now? Do we just sit here and wait to be swept away by this monsoon?”

Cameron switched on a battery operated lamp that sat on the coffee table. It lit up the room piercing the darkness that gathered in the corners.

“We used to play board games,” she told him. “I brought some books…” 

“Orrr...we could have sex.”

Cameron looked at him in surprise. He looked back at her.

“I think all my equipment is functioning again,” he said looking away. There was no way he would tell her about his erotic Cuddy hallucination. “We could test things out.”

Cameron stood and held out her hand. He looked at it and then allowed her to help him stand. Holding his hand, she led him into the bedroom.

“It’s too hot in here, and will be even worse soon. We should go back into the living room, at least it’s a few degrees cooler,” he told her.

“Good point. And the couch does make into a bed,” Cameron said with a nod and led him back into the living room where she pulled out the sofa bed. There were already sheets and blankets on it, and House grabbed a couple of pillows from the hall closet.

“I’m suddenly nervous now,” she said as they stood facing each other. House tilted his head to one side.

“Not as nervous as me. Remember what happened the last time?”

She gently touched his face and he leaned into it. “And I told you it wasn’t a big deal, because it isn’t.”

“I’m sure Hand Job has no problem getting it up,” House mumbled.

“From what I’ve heard, the reverse is true. His nicknames were Minuteman and Mister Five Minutes.”

House grinned. “Like the song?”

Cameron giggled. “Yes. So don’t worry about it. It’s the journey, not the destination, that matters.”

That did make him feel better, and as Cameron kissed him, he felt himself rise to the occasion with the thought that he would give her the journey she’d never forget. He wrapped his arms around her to draw her closer and she wrapped her arms around his neck. As her fingers played with his greying hair, he guided her onto the bed and they stretched out, facing each other as they lazily kissed and explored each other at their leisure.

“I could just lie like this all night,” he whispered as his hand made its way over her smooth stomach.

“Me too. I just wish we had a fan or something. It’s already really hot in here.”

“You’ve got too many clothes on, that’s why,” he said as he tugged on the ties of her bikini top and tossed it over his shoulder.

“I was just saying the same about you,” she said and began to remove his swimming trunks. Her bikini bottom joined the rest of their swimwear on the floor. 

Their skin was already damp with perspiration, but neither of them seemed to notice. They were much too interested in each other than to care how sweaty they were becoming.

“Mm...Greg,” Cameron moaned when he took one of her nipples into his warm mouth and swirled his tongue around it.

Hearing her say his name did things to him that he didn’t expect and he found himself bucking against her groin so she could see just how aroused he was.

“Mmmm..yessss,” she moaned each time he did that. 

“Definitely not a fourteen-year-old boy,” he whispered as his fingers traced an invisible pattern down the length of her body. She gasped when his finger trailed down and slid in between her wet folds. “Have you always been wet like this for me?”

Cameron bit her lip and nodded. “Remember the fundraiser? Your reaction to seeing me in my dress damn near made me need to change my underwear.”

House laughed as he continued to tease her. “You have no idea how much I wanted to kick the guys out and fuck you in that red dress right there on the conference table.”

“You have no idea how easily I would have let you.” Her hand slid down and gripped his very impressive erection. “Especially if I knew you were packing _this_ inside that tux.”

House groaned and closed his eyes as she gripped him firmly. “Do you...unnghh...do you…”

“What?” she panted

“Oh, to hell with it,” he said as he flipped her onto her back and his cock teased her slick entrance.

Cameron groaned with pleasure when House began making love to her. His strokes were slow and purposeful as their lips found each other’s.

“Yes…” she sighed against his lips as her legs wrapped around his waist. “Take me...harder…”

House increased his speed and power, and the sofa bed began to squeak with each thrust, causing him to chuckle.

“What?” Cameron asked, a blissful smile on her face as she looked dreamily up at him.

“The bed.”  
She laughed. “It’s like bad porn but I don’t care...fuck me, House...God...I’ve always wanted to say that…”

He laughed and shook his head. “Well, I can’t deny you that, so…” He carried on, thankful he was even able to make love to her the way she deserved, and she was clearly enjoying herself.

He could feel her thrusting back against him, her orgasm reaching its end and his was fast approaching. He grabbed her hands for leverage and gave a few final hard thrusts until he was spent, and collapsed against her.

Her fingers played with his sweaty hair at the nape of his neck and she sighed. “That was...incredible.”

All House did was nod before he summoned enough strength to roll off her and onto his back. Both of them were drenched in sweat from their tryst. “I need a shower,” he mumbled.

“How about a cool bath? I could join you,” she said as she smiled at him.

“Sounds good. Let’s go.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Pye and I are doing NaNoWriMo this year, we will be posting a chapter each day so the entire trilogy will be up before November 1. Enjoy!

House lay in bed, listening to the wind while Cameron slept next to him. He could hear branches breaking and falling. Cameron stirred and rolled over, flinging her arm across his stomach as she settled back into sleep. He gently stroked her arm as he watched her sleep until she stirred again and opened one eye.

“Can’t sleep?” she asked.

“You’d think that wind would lay off for just five minutes?” he grumbled.

Cameron giggled. “No such luck.”

“I’ve never heard wind howl like that. It’s like something out of a horror movie.”

“Just try and get some sleep.”

“It’s too hot,” he whined.

The sound of a loud crash made them both sit up in bed.

“What the fuck was that?” House asked.

“A tree probably fell. I think we should get dressed. Just in case.”

“Just in case of what?” House asked as they turned on their flashlights and got dressed. “In case this shack blows away?”

Cameron went into the small kitchen and got them each a bottle of water. “This ‘shack’ has weathered many hurricanes. One bad thunderstorm isn’t going to hurt it.”

They settled on the couch to watch the lightning and listen to the thunder and wind.

Finally, around dawn, the storm passed over on its way inland and the sky turned a pearly shade of blue. Cameron stretched and stood. 

“We should go see how what caused that crash,” she told House.

He looked around. “Where’s my cane?”

Cameron found it on the floor outside the bedroom and handed it to him.

“If the road washed out, we may have to stay longer. Is that a problem?”

He widened his eyes. “You mean we’ll get to spend more time with no power and the prehistoric flying roaches? That thrills me beyond belief.”

She shook her head and they went outside. Their rental car was smashed beneath a mangrove tree. Limbs and debris covered the small yard. The sun rose behind them and the sky turned an intense shade of blue. Even though it was early in the day, the heat was oppressive.

“Guess we’re staying,” Cameron sighed.

“Ally?” Tim called out as he made his way to them. “You two okay?”

“Yeah,” House assured him as he held Cameron close.

Tim looked at their car. “Sorry about your car.”

Cameron sighed. “I guess we’ll be here a while.”

“Not unless you want to be,” Time told them. “You can leave with some of the volunteers. They’ll be here soon.”

“I want to go home,” Cameron told House.

“Me, too. I’ve had enough of Florida.”

***

Wilson picked them up at the airport, and he looked House over carefully.

“I am off the Vicodin and also got a nice tan,” House told him. “Uh, the rental car company will be calling you.”

“What did you do? I haven’t rented a car!”

House grinned slightly as he got in the car. “Apparently you did and it got smashed by a tree. You really should have shelled out some money for the extra insurance.”

Wilson ground his teeth and emitted a low growl.

“I’ve already cleared up everything with the car,” Cameron told Wilson from the back seat. “The Act of God clause was quite helpful in this case.”

Wilson glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Thanks.”

“So what now?” House asked Cameron as he turned to look at her.

“What do you want to do?”

“We should probably talk,” he said.

Cameron smirked. “I know what your brand of _talking_ involves.”

House grinned at her but didn’t say anything more until Wilson dropped Cameron off at her place. She grabbed her stuff and then went over to House’s window. “Well, are we going to talk?”  
Wilson rolled his eyes when House hurried to unbuckle his seatbelt and grabbed his bag out of the trunk.

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” he said and then drove off.

House followed Cameron eagerly into the building and once they were safely inside her apartment, he backed her up against the back of the door and kissed the breath out of her.

“House...Greg…”

“Mhm?” he murmured as his lips found their way down her neck while his hands slid underneath her shirt.

“I thought we were going...ahhh….to talk.”

“We can talk about how I’m going to rip up your carpet. And by ripping up your carpet I mean…”

Cameron crashed her lips against his again as she began to pull him in the direction of her bedroom. “I get it.”

“Thank God. Having to explain kind of spoils it…”

“House..”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up,” she growled as she pulled him onto her bed with her. He moved on top of her and immediately returned to removing her clothing while she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his jeans. “God...get them off…”

He wasn’t sure if she was talking about her pants or his but just in case, he tugged hers off and quickly struggled out of his, kicking them aside as she straddled him and placed her hands on his chest.

“I’ve been thinking about this all day,” she said as she sank down on his very hard cock and threw her head back.

“Good..now no more talking...unless it’s to scream out my name,” he said as he bucked his hips up.

Cameron began moving faster. House gripped her hips so hard she knew would have bruises but she didn't care. It felt so good and so intense. Where he got the energy, she didn’t know, but she wasn’t going to question it. When House opened his eyes and stared intensely back at her, with that sexy grin, that was when she lost it and cried out his name as her orgasm rocked her whole body, causing it to shudder in release.

“I guess we should talk now,” she said as her breathing began to slow down.

“Not until I get blood flow back to my brain,” House panted as he lay there, tangled in the sheets. Cameron thought he looked absolutely adorable and sexy and wished she could take a picture of him just like that but she didn’t dare.

On that thought, she got up and grabbed her shirt. “Water?” she asked.

“Yeah. And stay naked.”

“Of course.” She dropped the shirt and House watched her as she sauntered out of the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Ro quietly let herself into the bedroom, being careful not to wake Brent who was sound asleep. He wouldn’t be for long, if she had anything to say about it. Smiling wickedly, she undressed and slipped into bed with him. He stirred and rolled over on his other side, still asleep.

“Mm..Brent...I missed you,” she whispered as she began to kiss his neck.

“Missed you too.”

“Wanna show me?”

“Wanna sleep now. Gotta get up early for my shift at six,” he yawned as he rolled away from her.

She sighed and rolled over onto her back. “Whatever.”

“Clemmie, come on…” Brent groaned. “It’s past midnight…”

“I know what time it is,” she snapped back as she rolled over onto her side and eventually fell asleep.

In the morning, Ro awoke when Brent got up to get ready for work. 

“Could you make any more noise?” she murmured.

“Yes.” After he finished getting dressed, he sat on the edge of the bed and smiled at her. “I’ll see you tonight, Clemmie.”

“Will you?” 

He frowned. “Got plans?”

“No, but you usually do. If you’re not out training for one of your marathons, at the gym or hitting the bar with the guys from work, I never see you. We’re like ships passing in the night,” she complained.

“Well it’s not like you’re home that much either,” he pointed out. “And now that House is back, you’ll probably be spending all your time helping him.”

“House does need help. He’s detoxed and now we need to get him on a pain regimen. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that you and I haven’t screwed each other senseless in weeks!”

“Well maybe you should go screw House, then, if you’re jonesing for sex!”

“Excuse me!?” she said in outrage as she sat up.

“You heard me. I know that you’re attracted to him.” Brent grabbed his hoodie and threw it on. “Why don’t you call him up? I’m sure he’d be all over that.”

“Fine! Maybe I will!” she shouted as she followed him to the garage.

“Fine!” he shouted back as he climbed into his car and revved the engine. She sighed as she watched him back out of the driveway and speed off.

 

At the end of the day, once she finished all the work she took home with her, she called Cameron but there was no answer. When she called House, she was surprised he answered, as he usually just let calls go to voicemail.

“Cruella,” he said and she could hear the amusement in his voice.

“Yeah, it’s me. What are you up to?” she asked.

“Not much. Watching the game. If you’re looking for Cameron, she’s at the hospital. She got called in to deal with some crisis.”

“Oh, that explains why I can’t get a hold of her. I was going to go shoot some pool but I don’t want to go by myself.”

“Where’s Rohella?” he asked referring to Brent.

“I don’t know. He’s still at work and then I don’t know what he’s doing. I just feel like getting out of the house for a bit.”

“I get that. Want me to come get you?” he asked.

“Really?” she asked in surprise. House usually made her come get him.

“Sure. Your place is closer to the billiard hall.”

“Okay. I can be ready in half an hour,” she told him.

“Cool. See you then.”

 

House showed up on his motorcycle to find Ro standing on the sidewalk waiting. She looked very enticing in tight black jeans, a form-fitting black t-shirt, boots and a leather jacket. He handed her Cameron’s helmet and they headed to the billiard hall.

Two hours later, Ro was on her fourth glass of wine and hanging onto every word House said. It seemed the more she drank, the better looking he became. Which she thought was incredible since he was already good looking.

“So what’s the deal with you and the hubster?” he asked as he lined up a shot.

“Huh?”

“What did you do, have a fight?”

Ro shook her head. “Nah, it’s the same old married couple bullshit. I insulted him, he patronized me and then went to work.”

“How long has that been going on?”

“Awhile. He’s never home anymore. I need sex, House. When he comes home from work he’s too tired and just goes to bed.” Ro hopped up on the edge of the table and ran her finger down his chest as she smiled demurely. “I’ll bet you’ve never turned Cameron down.”

House rolled his eyes, finished off his beer and put the cue stick back on the wall. “It’s getting busy. Let’s get out of here.”

Ro hopped off the pool table and nodded. “Good plan.”

He took her back to her place and she hopped off the bike, wobbling slightly. House groaned and proceeded to help her into the house. 

“Gonna be okay?” he asked once he had her safely inside.

“Mmmhmm,” she murmured as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I will be.”

“Clemmie…”

“Come on, House. I just want one kiss,” she begged as she tried to press her lips to his.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“A) You’re hammered. And B) You’re a married woman and I don’t play ball on a full field.”

Ro cocked her head to one side. “What the hell does that even mean?”

He removed her hands from around his neck and stepped back. “It means that I’m not going to betray Cameron and you’re not going to betray Rohella, either. Sleeping with me won’t solve anything. It’ll only make it worse.”

“Who’s going to tell them?” she demanded.

“I wouldn’t, obviously, but there were a few people at the billiard hall from PPTH tonight that saw us leave together. Tomorrow morning is going to be a shit show as it is. I don’t need this adding to it. That said, I’m gonna head home. Drink lots of water and go to bed, Ro. You’ll thank me for it. When Rohella gets home you can jump him.”

“But I’d rather jump you,” she said, sullenly.

“Well it’s not going to happen so you best get over it. G’night, Ro.”

Ro pushed him out the door and slammed it. In that moment, she hated him. She hated Brent. She especially hated that House knew her first name and used it even though she asked him not to. In all, she hated her life. So, she went to the kitchen and poured another glass of wine.

***

The next morning, Ro went straight to her office and locked the door. She had a vague memory of coming on to House and Brent coming home to find her drunk off her ass. Now she had a hangover and felt miserable. She toyed with the idea of going to the pharmacy to get some Compazine and maybe even an IV of electrolytes. Squinting at her calendar, she saw she didn’t have time. Her first patient would arrive in ten minutes. She dug through her desk, found some acetaminophen, and washed three down with some water. 

By lunch time, she was ready for a nap and was contemplating that very thing when there was a knock on her door. “Come in!”

Cameron entered, looking slightly pissed off and Ro steadied herself for the shit storm that House predicted.

“So what did you do last night? I got your message but I was here.”

Ro shrugged casually. “I went to the billiard hall.”

“With Brent?”

“Yeah,” Ro responded without meeting Cameron’s eyes.

Cameron sat down. “Liar. You were with House.”

“So what if I was? It was a few games of pool, not a roll in the sack.”

“Right.”

“Seriously, Al? We’re going to do this? Do you really think I’d do you like that?” 

“I have sources that say you were all over him last night.”

“I was drunk.”

“That doesn’t excuse you crawling my boyfriend like a tree,” Cameron informed her as she got up. “I need to talk to House. Just concentrate on your patients.” She stopped with her hand on the doorknob. “And get something for your hangover. You look like shit.”

Once she was gone, Ro put her head on her desk and groaned.

***

House paced in front of the white board tapping a marker against his chin. He looked over at Cameron who stood in the doorway.

“She and Brent had a fight. I picked her up. We played some pool. She got drunk. I took her home. The end,” he said and turned back to stare at the list of symptoms on the board.  
“Okay,” Cameron said and walked toward the elevator. As she waited for it, House walked up behind her.

“No questions? No screechy accusations?” he asked as he leaned on his cane. Though the pain was tolerable, he still used it. Detoxing from the Vicodin didn’t mean he magically grew new thigh muscle. Thanks to the pain management doctor Ro arranged for him to see, he now took carbamazepine and went for PT weekly which helped immensely.

The elevator doors opened. Cameron stepped in and turned to face him. She smiled slightly as she pushed the button. “I’m not Cuddy. I believe you and I believe her.”

The doors slid shut and House stood blinking. “Well, I’ll be damned."


End file.
